FDAFinal Rule

Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term ‘‘Healthy’’

HealthcareAgriculture

Summary

The FDA is updating the definition of what foods can be labeled as "healthy" to better reflect current nutritional science and help shoppers make informed choices at the grocery store. This change affects how food companies can market their products and ensures that labels accurately represent a food's nutritional value.

Key Points

  • 1Food companies must meet updated nutritional standards to use the word 'healthy' on product packaging, including limits on sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars
  • 2The new definition aligns with current dietary guidelines from nutrition experts, replacing standards that were over 30 years old
  • 3This affects millions of food products across grocery stores, making it easier for consumers to identify genuinely nutritious foods
  • 4Companies will need to reformulate some products or change their labels to comply with the new rules
  • 5The rule helps prevent misleading marketing where unhealthy foods were labeled as 'healthy' based on outdated standards

Key Dates

Published

February 25, 2025

This summary is for informational purposes only. It may not capture all nuances of the regulation. Always refer to the official text for authoritative information.

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